Zira Miranda Grover
*Descendant *Belle Grover (née Cress) (descendant) *Britney Grover (great-granddaughter) *Jason Grover (great-grandson) *Sue Grover (great-granddaughter) |affiliation = International Alliance |masters= |apprentices= }} Zira Miranda Grover, better known as Empress Zira and often called the "Bulging One," though never to her face, was one of the most notorious dictators in history, who governed a large Empire from her palace in Arizona. At the height of her power, Zira even had contact with Prince Zaron, the head of the Dark Nova Confederation. Zira had started as a desert dweller, but quickly spread her influence and charm until it was too late for the government to stop her. Known for her eerie beauty, cruel demeanor, and inactivity, Zira Grover was powerful enough to command respect and payment from the Boy-Team, so much so that during the School War the Boy-Team went to great lengths to avoid Zira's displeasure. Shortly before the later placed a hefty death mark on Helen McKeen, after McKeen made the wrong impression she intended to kidnap her son Eegan. She would finally get her revenge on McKeen when the captured latter was delivered to her by Xydarone IV, one of the many bounty hunters Zira was known to employ. However, this mission was Zira's undoing, as a rescue mission and subsequent battle with Vincent Organa and his allies resulted in the Empress' alleged demise at the hands of Summer Petersen. Forced to go into hiding in her seemingly deserted Palace, Zira continued in her laid back, gluttonous ways for another decade. Because her Empire had fallen, there was nothing else in her life. During the height of the Third NoHead War, she was deceived by Hell Burnbottom, the leader of the Elite NoHeads, and impaled through the chest. Biography Early life Zira Grover was born in the Arizona desert in 1966 to Jenna and Zoram Grover in the Arizona desert. Her childhood was very difficult for her and her family. Food was scarce, and her homeless family moved place to place in search of food and water. Zira's parents promised her that they would get to a more desirable climate, though they warned that this may take years to accomplish. Zira spent much of her time gathering food. In 1974, a desert traveler located them, and Zira helped him get to her family's tent to offer him shelter. They quickly bonded over this time together. The man also told her all about the city. This ultimately led Zira to think that life would be easier in the public spotlight. Three years later, a police squad found the Grovers by coincidence and, while keeping the fate of her parents confidential from even Zira, offered to raise her as a guaranteed future politician. After everything, Zira could not resist the opportunity to begin climbing the political ladder. Rise to power Political campaign Upon arriving at the headquarters where it was confirmed Zira Grover would sleep, the officer introduced her to the legislation and ensured she was made a new set of clothes. The year of training in politics began for her. In her bid to become a Senator and thereby complete her training, she attended town meetings, gave speeches, and marched in parades. When she visited diners, she introduced herself to legal authorities clad in skimpy clothing. In 1975, Zira was elected as the Senator for Arizona, something she described as "a crucial step to her plans". After spending several months on this post, she left Dennis DeConcini in charge and began convincing the people to vote her the first woman president. Having reengaged on the campaign trail, Zira resumed her life in 1975, though she was constantly bombarded by DeConcini for advice. In 1977, she began starring in a late-night comedy show. In 1980, Zira was voted President at last, becoming the youngest to serve. In the mix, Ichabod Lawson became indebted to Zira, and was forced to sell both of his slave girls, Stella and Elaine to the other leader. Although Zira gave Elaine away to Black, she kept Stella for herself. Creation of the International Alliance As President, Zira began a campaign to crown herself Empress and make the International Alliance she dreamed of creating a reality. Along with several other women, Zira made her bid for power during the First NoHead War. While Fromm played games of war, Zira came into league with Zygen of the Unknown Countries. Impressed, she made her the Senior to the International Alliance. Both spent their resources garnering favor with those who seemed to be shifting into power. Throughout the course of their schemes, the duo also came into contact with Zaynie and Valarie. Eventually, through many further deceptions and war crimes, Zira became Empress of the United States and distributed the power of the Alliance across the globe. Her speech intended to justify her actions, delivered with Zygen by her side, comforted most of her decision to reorganize the world, but within the year many people wished they hadn’t voted for her. In the mix, a superhero named Green Light began opposing her when he realized what she intended to accomplish. Under her reign, crime was often rewarded. Zira lived in the heart of her Palace, scarcely wandering far and rarely appearing in public. Wherever she was, she liked to eat nine meals a day. For Meals One and Two she always ate a big bowl of sugar cereal with candy and whipped cream instead of raisins and milk. For the others she ate fried chicken, French fries, and cookies. She never exercised, either, spending almost all of her time on her throne. Although she never laid a hand on any of them, she was also responsible for the deaths of several people, including Danny, Abu, Sectumre, and her parents. While she laid back in comfort the guards did the killings on her command. Government pact In 1983, Zira's throne was heavily technologically advanced by mechanics based on designs she had created years ago. Zira, due to her tremendous mass, planted herself on her throne, never rising from it, even to walk since it reclined, taking her around her Palace and to her retrofitted limousine, the Gemotre, ''which she hired an architect named Stellan Howard to build. After her seating, Zira made a treaty with the U.S. Government, compromising their authority for good. It also confirmed that nothing could be sold without her approval. Building her headquarters Two years later, Zira encountered a luxurious science tower. Deciding it would be the perfect place to construct her Palace, she ousted the scientists and seized the monastery. Erecting a throne room at the top floor, Zira made the tower her palace. Taking up residence in the Palace, Zira remained in her throne room, in the heart of the Palace, scarcely wandering far and rarely appearing in public. Howard made several additions to it, focusing on the dungeons. He provided Zira with almost everything she wanted, making the palace function as both a stately manor and fortress; however, he failed to provide adequate space for Zira's personalized servants, leaving the existing dungeons intact for them to lounge in to cover up for this. This made Zira so furious that she had Howard killed immediately. Zira spent most of her time resting, watching television, or reading, and always had her food within easy reach. While Zira wore the same clothes she wore as President, they grew tighter and tighter as she gained considerable weight. Eventually, she wore it around her chest, which showcased her expanding abdomen. After several weeks as Empress, she ordered her guards to find a means to acquire new robes of state for her. Upon receiving them, she also began wearing a tight, revealing rubber shirt, especially when she was feeling hot. Building an army She ordered her guards to acquire fifty young male adolescents to be trained as her bodyguards. The guards stormed into five different states of America, where they successfully captured the children. Upon learning their names from General Martin, Zira had them trained at Rhode Island Academy, which she had ordered the construction of. Skyracing Zira was known to bet on skyraces. She often lost, due to the recommendations of her incompetent robot, D3R7. During such races she was, on most occasions, the host, such as at the skyrace of 2012. Zira never had any interest in the sport — sometimes falling asleep during the race — other than the profits made from inside bettors and the joy that came from having others owe her money, especially the junk dealer Albert. When Zira did win, she was rewarded with slaves and money. She made sure that she always got her money's worth "the easy way, or the hard way." Dealing with scum During a particularly bad drought in Arizona, Zira began collecting a hefty water tax from local farmers. This earned her thugs an unpleasant encounter with Sheriff Bladepoint, who had conveniently encountered Leslie Amadeus. When Amadeus attempted to steal the thugs' collections for the day, they caught and threatened to kill her. It was at that moment that Bladepoint took down the thugs with the Light. Under cover of darkness, the gangsters were unable to identify Bladepoint. Most displeased with her loss of tax revenue, Zira hired the bounty hunter Blue Garantan to track down and identify the Sheriff. Her rising regime Confronting Gavin Suppore At an unknown point in the 1990s, Zira ended up getting a bounty on her head by the NoHeads. In response, Zira took her yacht, ''Star Jewel, and set off for the headquarters of Gavin Suppore, an old acquaintance of the Empress. Zira informed Gavin that there was a bomb in his palace, but when the NoHeads sent Kish Keptor to investigate, no bomb was discovered. After a heated trade war, with Zira outwitting Suppore on every trade, Gavin tried to kill the Queen. Zira responded by letting loose a fatally poisonous scorpion on Gavin, which bit him almost immediately. Threatening to blow everyone up with a bomb she possessed, Zira persuaded Gavin to give her everything they traded for an antidote to the fatal bite. When Gavin was reminded about the bomb, he played along and asked Zira to detonate it. Things took a turn for the worst when Zira called Gavin by his real name, Sonya Cremar. Keptor, recognizing the name as that of the man who had killed his family, took a shot at the man. The bullet ricocheted, exploding Gavin's head. Keptor realized he was the actual "bomb", and had played right into Zira's plan. Hiring Marina In 1993, Zira ordered her guards to commit a massacre at an unknown place for unknown reasons. They were presumably successful, but as they returned to the Palace, their freighter was gunned down by a small group of pirates. Angered, Zira ordered the crew to be hunted down and brought to her. The crew were condemned to the Death Pit while it was still under construction one by one except for a member named Marina who was spared for her beauty and made a personalized servant. Excited, Zira claimed the Cave of the Gargoyle and named its titular resident Devorar. Zira offered Marina her freedom but she offered her services as the new chief of security. Zira accepted the offer. Dark Nova At the time of Zira's campaign against the Police Grand Army during the Hunt, Zira and Zaron built powerful empires parallel to and in symbiosis with Mr. Stupid NoHead's New Order. In the wake of the First NoHead War, c. 1995, the solar system's seats of power were still realigning. Mr. Stupid NoHead, in fact, proved to be her worst enemy and largest obstacle in ruling the solar system herself. However, by ruling the solar system from in the shadows since circa 1988, she had in fact beaten the Dark Lord to his objective. The Emperor was drawn to the Alliance's vast resources and riches, which he sought to use for his own benefit. Zira knew her place, however, allowing Mr. Stupid NoHead to share power with her. Her vast wealth and influence over external markets gave her a significant foothold over much of the international economy, in that if something bad happened to the Alliance's trade, which could crash, it would hurt the NoHeads' economy, and in effect, damage the NoHeads' military expansion as a consequence. Trudy's sacrifice At some point between 1993 and 1999, Zira acquired a servant named Trudy. Although the girl had been sold into slavery, Zira actually paid her for her services. Shortly afterwards, Zira's men captured Green Light and his brother, Purple Light, and pitted them against a pair of DL-class gladiator robots as she laughed and jeered. With Purple Light's help, Green Light managed to escape from the robots and set one of them loose on the throne room, hoping to use DL09 to bring down the Palace or at least inflict some damage on Zira, knowing her Shield would protect her from harm. However, as they were fleeing the Palace via flight, a personalized servant named Trudy inadvertently sacrificed herself to give Zira and her men time to destroy DL09. Marina tended to Zira afterward, jokingly saying she could replace Trudy if the need arose. Imperial-International Alliance treaty After a few years of extensive military expansion and advancement, the newly established NoHead Empire quickly arose to become the most powerful government in the world's history. But despite having an iron-fist grip on much of the solar system, the NoHeads still had a rivalry with the International Alliance. Ultimately, Mr. Stupid NoHead had to appease Zira, being forced by her to sign a treaty when they met face-to-face in 2001 and both agreed the Empire could co-exist along the Alliance. Zira's lack of interest into getting into a fight motivated her to sign. However, Mr. Stupid NoHead threatened to kill her, but found himself unable to do so, as wards had been placed around the Palace when she realized he was coming. Ultimately, both of them opted to keep their distance from each other. Discovery of Sammy Salaraga Zira embarked to Coahuila, a city located on the border of Mexico and Texas, on one of her rare excursions out of town, accompanied by her two most prominent henchmen, Bill Kerve and Jim Newman; she had to settle an important debt on Coahuilan station. While Zira was absent attending to business, a teenage boy named Sammy Salaraga sneaked into her vessel, not knowing it belonged to her. When the Empress returned on her throne, she was furious to find another being helping himself to some of her delicacies, sitting playfully next to her feeding bowl. Enraged, she attempted to shoot Sammy with the gun emplacements in her throne, though the teenager was far too quick for her, and swiftly evaded her every move. With the bowl sitting precariously on his head, Salaraga darted and lunged from rafter to rafter, until Bill Kerve and Jim Newman entered the room, arguing about something, as was the norm. The two majordomos were preoccupied with their argument to notice that Salaraga was perched right behind them; the mischievous individual dropped the bowl, filled with a brown, chocolate-like substance, directly onto the two’s heads. Covered in the brown goo, Kerve attempted to fire his sidearm at Salaraga, though the goo had damaged the weapon; all it did was fire more goo onto Newman. While her henchmen were livid, Zira had taken a liking to the spindly teenager which had stolen onto her ship, and was almost delirious with laughter at the events which Salaraga had caused. Zira managed to stop her men from killing each other, and beckoned for Salaraga to come down and speak with her. She offered the fugitive a job and a future working effectively as her court jester in her magnificent palace. There were, however, strings attached: Salaraga had to make Zira laugh at least once a day — failure to do so would result in Newman and Kerve personally stabbing him. Confident he would be able to entertain Zira daily, Salaraga obliged, and traveled with the Empress and her men back to his palace in Arizona. Recruiting B-490 and Ariana At some point, she also encountered Ariana. Her ability to divine the future, as well as her incredible reputation, attracted Zira to her. Eventually, Zira hired her as a permanent member of her staff. (This is good coming from Zira, who is fairly disdainful of hiring bounty hunters that are robots or females.) As Zira's secret fighter, Ariana carried out a number of successful missions on her own. In the meantime, B-490 traveled New Mexico, becoming a wanted thief and information broker, though his programming prevented him from actually harming anyone. Before long, B-490, who had traveled to Arizona a renegade, had come to Zira Grover's attention. Zira quickly realized that such an intelligent robot would make an excellent bounty hunter in her ranks. The Queen provided B-490 with a state-of-the-art programming upgrade — which bypassed his primary programming and allowed the robot to use violence — in exchange for his services as a bounty hunter. B-490 accepted, and became the first robotic bounty hunter in the world under Zira's support. Because the only thing B-490 lacked was intuition, he made it his goal to acquire this quality. Eventually, Zira realized that B-490 was making no breakthroughs in his desire for intuition, and suggested that B-490 team up with Ariana, a former findsman who was a master of intuition. The two embarked on what would become a lucrative partnership. Zira was particularly fond of the duo, though they were also known to work for the Girl-Team under Natalia Thornton. Iraq War In 2003, Zira Miranda Grover learned of a fierce war in Iraq. Finally, she could no longer stand idly by as more and more innocent people died. To circumvent this, Zira sent the majority of her army to fight in the war. This left only around a few hundred guards remaining in Arizona. The Yellowstone Operation and aftermath During the fourth decade of the First NoHead War, the NoHeads set up an isolated and secretive mining facility on the ore-rich Yellowstone National Park, which lied nearby. Zira learned of NoHead operations there, and suspected that it was sold to the NoHeads by her distant cousin, Taran, violating the 1983 treaty. Through George Bush, Zira informed the Republic of the situation, which led to a team of police being sent to investigate the enormous park to ascertain the existence of the mining installation. In 2005, Zira hired several young and attractive musicians to play in her Palace, something she had been planning for a long time. Inheritance In April of 2007, Queen Zygen was murdered by NoHead forces, giving Zira absolute control over the Unknown Countries in addition to her reign over North America. By this time, Zira had become the most powerful woman in the solar system, perhaps even the universe. By this time, the International Alliance had become the largest and most powerful dynasty of all time, trumping even their sworn enemies, the NoHeads, largely thanks to the Police Grand Army who inadvertently gave her more power by taking it from her archenemy, Mr. Stupid NoHead. During the height of her reign, Zira's loyal henchmen and numerous technological devices provided her perpetual comfort, bolstering her confidence after the past events of the 2000s. Jalahessea Zira later learned that a girl named Suzie had formed the Shade Union, an alliance between the NoHeads and various elements from the criminal faction Doom Cortege. Their goal was to bring together many criminals to overthrow the Earth as one organization and, despite their combined might, the Shade Union still required additional resources, including muscle and supplies, to achieve their goal. To find the resources they needed, they went before the International Alliance to negotiate an alliance between the Alliance and the Shade Union. For the first time in years, all seven members of the Alliance assembled publicly, in the company of non-members. Suzie, Hell Burnbottom, and Mean King met with the members, where Burnbottom negotiated the terms and conditions of the alliance with Zira herself. Suzie noted that Zira, who was attending the meeting in person, was the most guarded of the seven members and had a far wider abdomen than her fellows. The members wanted to know what they could offer and how much their assistance was worth. Burnbottom proposed an exchange: in return for their loyalty, he would spare their lives. Zira and the Alliance were dismissive of Burnbottom's threats, which resulted in a skirmish between the Shade Union and the International Alliance's forces. Burnbottom, Suzie, and Mean King fought off various enforcers and bounty hunters, until their Doom Cortege reinforcements arrived. With the additional troops, the trio were flushed out of the facility, giving Zira and the others plenty of time to flee. Zira boarded her limousine, the Gemotre, and promptly returned to her Palace. Outside they were able to rout the enemy forces and secure a victory, capturing Cedric in the mix. Burnbottom interrogated Cedric, threatening to kill him unless he revealed where the others had escaped to. Under duress, Cedric informed Burnbottom that he could find Zira in her palace in Arizona. The Shade Union soon arrived, facing strong resistance as they made their way towards the throne room. Ultimately, they were forced to retreat, foiling their plans of forcing Zira to submit to their demands and assist the Shade Union in their affairs. Arrivals of Yolanda Gogan and Corey At some point, Zira also acquired a servant named Yolanda Gogan, who she placed under a contract promising she could buy her freedom one day. Therefore, Gogan was not legally a slave and had a fair amount of freedom within the palace. However, Zira forced her to undergo several changes to please her new mistress, forcing her to resemble the woman herself by fattening her up and forcing her to dress like her, much to Gogan's dismay. Zira usually ordered her to dance with her current favorite servant when she wanted to watch her servants dance. It is unclear if Yolanda served other roles under Zira Grover’s rule. In 2009, Zira was visited in her Palace by a man named Dylan and his adopted son Corey, as Dylan had come for the bounty on a powerful robot they had acquired. In order to ensure that Zira agreed to the deal, Dylan brought along a bomb with the intention of setting it off in the event that Zira refused the price of no less than 5,000 dollars. Zira then laughed it off, impressed with Dylan’s nerve, and Dylan tried to push his luck by raising the price. Zira laughed and told them to take Dylan away, by which time Corey had slipped out and left the Palace. Dylan was subsequently put to death, while Zira had the new robot put to work. Shortly afterwards, Marina called her and said she had a surprise for her. When she arrived, she handed over Corey, whom Zira believed was gorgeous and had a special place for. Meeting at Niagara Falls Zira Grover would take Stella to the skyraces, where, in her private box in the Grand Arena, she would meet Zira's fellow gamblers, such as Albert Herrington or Rono Treblam. Treblam, being the owner of the New York Opera House in New York City, took particular interest in Stella. In about 2011, Zira traveled with Stella and Jim Newman and his security chief Epher Vos to a holdout near Niagara Falls, where the Empress held a business meeting with the influential industrialist Mr. Crooked NoHead. Pregnancy In 2011, Zira had a sexual affair with her servant Corey, resulting in her pregnancy with the baby that would one day become a Prince. Immediately after the event, she retreated to her city quarter with Corey. Hoping to assassinate Zira, a criminal named Sectumre breached her palace and murdered her husband. He then entered the throne room. Zira attempted to lift a sword to fight back, but struggled. Sectumre slashed her across the back, tearing off a large piece of her clothing. A guard angrily intervened, disarming Sectumre after a brief bout of bladework. He then slashed him, running him through several times for good measure. Afterwards, the guard presented her with a present to make up for earlier failures - a tight, revealing party outfit. When Zira asked what occasions she would have use for it on, he suggested she wear it during the parties she threw, especially when she was feeling hot. Zira would take Stella to the skyraces, where, in her private box in the Grand Arena, she would meet Zira's fellow gamblers, such as Albert Herrington or Rono Treblam. Treblam, being the owner of the New York Opera House in New York City, took particular interest in Stella. In about 2011, Zira traveled with Stella and Jim Newman and his security chief Epher Vos to a holdout near Niagara Falls, where the Empress held a business meeting with the influential industrialist Mr. Crooked NoHead. Visiting Helen McKeen Eventually, Zira Grover placed a Taboo on her unborn child. Once Helen McKeen told Emily Watson on the phone she didn’t want to kidnap the child when Emily brought it up. Unbeknownst to her she had broken the Taboo, and, fifteen minutes later, Zira, who was already curious about the family, personally visited them. The girl said she had no choice. Zira charged Helen with a debt of one thousand dollars and, in exchange for more time to pay it, they bartered for one point five thousand instead. Helen accepted the offer, though Zira told her if she captured Cedwell, she would owe the Empress nothing. School War Eventually Zira Grover had a baby, whom she named Eegan. During the School War, Zira requested the Boy-Team help her find her son in exchange for support during the war. She had dispatched a group of bounty hunters who tracked her son to a remote dungeon, but none of them came back alive. Emily Watson and the Girl-Team kidnapped Zira’s son, allowed Steven Thompson and Summer Petersen to get him back, and employed lies and an all-out assault to get him back and to curry the monarch’s favor. Ultimately, the Boy-Team proved victorious and eventually earned Zira’s trust for a time, however, Zira’s army was spread too thinly to support a war in Iraq, which was previously Persia. Therefore, her army could not help the Armies of Organa. Several months later, the Girl-Team had a skyrace to determine their new leader, something which Zira agreed to preside over. Her entrance in the stands was greeted with cheers from the spectators who came to watch the race from all corners of the nation. Zira signaled the start of the race and the skyracers began their laps, at the end of which Ludwig Beethoven II emerged victorious. Zira had to be awoken after falling asleep during the second lap of the race, as skyracing did not interest her — aside from the gambling involved. Second School War Nolan Coulson's request The year after Eegan's rescue, Treblam purchased and freed Stella from Zira, who did not recognize her true talent and had lost interest in the woman. The following month, Zira was visited by Baron Nolan Coulson, whose daughters had been kidnapped by Avara, a bounty hunter in Zira's employ. The chairman was able to reason with the Empress as a fellow parent, who, like Nolan, knew all too well what it was like to have her child be taken from her. Avara insisted that he was not responsible, but Zira allowed a blood sample to be taken from her bounty hunter so it could be compared to blood found at the scene of the crime. Avara admitted to kidnapping the chairman's daughters out of wanting leverage against the Baron, and Nolan took the culprit with him. In the Town Hall, Avara was given a trial for which Nolan was present. When Avara insisted that there was no proof, Nolan insisted that he was wrong. To prove this, he had Black call Zira, who was resting behind the curtains to her throne and wearing her rubber shirt. Jim Newman answered the phone for her, but then claimed that Nolan needed to talk with Zira personally. As he held up the phone, Zira assured the Mayor that Nolan spoke the truth. After this, Avara was imprisoned for the kidnapping, and Nolan was soon reunited with his children. The capture of Helen McKeen When Natalia Thornton hired the Sensei's team members to assist in the capture of Helen McKeen, Zira Miranda Grover immediately saw her chance to obtain Helen and furfill the promise that Helen would become her slave. For the task, she insisted that B-490 and Ariana interfere. Having been at unfriendly terms with Helen, the Empress was greatly pleased with Helen’s delivery by Xydarone. On Zira’s orders, Helen was chained to a seat on the other side of the throne room. Arrival of Thomas Carter In 2015, Zira found a new personalized servant in the form of Thomas Carter. The boy had been trained by Jim Newman and Jerry, so they could present him to their boss. Rather than the customary dancing veils, Thomas was given only a black tank top with no designs. Zira was immediately enamored with him, and chained him by the waist to her throne as her slave. Carter was forced to dance for her, as well as give comfort and pleasure when the Empress beckoned, but he was determined to escape from his horrible existence. Thomas Carter chose to refuse Zira Grover’s advances at least once before his final dance, and was thoroughly beaten by her guards for this act of defiance. This beating was conducted “scientifically”, so as not to leave him with any disfiguring bruises. Seven months later, she also acquired Natalia Thornton, disguised as Erica Chamberlain. She would often force the ersatz Chamberlain to sleep with her. Mission to the Palace Despite Zira Miranda Grover's victory over Helen McKeen, the Armies of Organa wanted Helen back, and to do so, they concocted an elaborate plan. First, Vincent Organa went to Zira with a message. Passing the guards, the mind-tricked Taylor Carter delivered Anakin’s message, asking to bargain for Helen. Bemused, Zira rejected the offer. Afterward, Zira listened to her musicians sing “Beautiful Life,” as Thomas Carter, her slave, danced for her. Demanding a repeat, Zira tried to bring Thomas to her, but he resisted and Zira ordered her guards to murder him. Directly after, Summer Petersen, disguised as the mercenary Xydarone, entered the room and asked for directions to Xydarone’s room. Once in range, Summer remained in the Palace, waiting for evening. Later that night, Summer freed Helen from her chains. However, Zira caught them. Helen tried to bargain with the monarch, saying that she was sidetracked, but Zira said it was too late. Helen was put in a cell while Summer was taken as Zira’s new slave. The next day, Anakin Organa finally arrived at Zira’s Palace. Zira had let herself open, but she donned a robe quickly. Anakin demanded the return of Helen and Summer, warning that Zira would be destroyed if she didn’t comply. After Anakin Force pulled a gun from a neighboring guard, Zira caused the young Jedi to drop down a trap door, into the lair of Zira’s monster. The monster emerged. After bashing its claw with a rock and ramming a bone into its mouth, Anakin ran between the beast’s legs to the other side of the lair. There, he managed to kill the ferocious beast by grabbing a torpedo launcher and killing the monster. Natalia was present at Zira’s Palace, disguised as the dancing girl Erica, planning to kill Anakin. However, a particularly loyal guard suspected her of being out to assassinate the Queen and attempted to have her imprisoned, despite failing this she had made it impossible for Natalia to complete her mission. Battle of the Gargoyle Cave An enraged Zira stated that Helen and Anakin were to be taken to the Cave of the Gargoyle, to be fed to the fearsome gargoyle. Only Summer was spared from execution as Zira liked her and had other plans for her. Zira and her entourage traveled aboard her limousine, while the prisoners were carried to their doom on a smaller skiff. On the way, Summer attempted to watch the proceedings out of the window, but Zira would not allow it and boasted that she would soon learn to appreciate her. Later, once they reached the pit, Zira offered the prisoners a chance to beg for mercy. Anakin warned Zira once more, but the queen ignored the offer and ordered them to be thrown in. Just as Anakin was to be thrown to the gargoyle, Helen tossed Anakin’s lightsaber. Anakin immediately launched an attack against the guards, causing a state of panic to break out onboard the limo as Zira ordered her guards to stop Anakin. Taylor prepared to follow them, but Zira beckoned him to stay. After witnessing Xydarone's death, Zira began squirming roughly in anger, and her shirt tore slightly. Taylor asked her if she was all right. Confirming this, Zira ordered the guards to fire on the skiff. Amid the chaos, Summer danced briefly, distracting Zira. During the distraction, Summer jumped over Zira, hurled her chain around the Empress, and whipped her head until Zira fell unconscious. Believing Zira to have died, Summer ceased her assault. Hiding from Summer Petersen Summer was able to escape with the others and sped away from the exploding limo, believing Zira dead. As the limo exploded, however, Taylor made up his mind and went to fetch Zira’s unconscious form. A guard helped him rush her body to a speeder, where they escaped the following explosion. When Taylor and the surviving guard arrived at her palace, they kept Zira’s coffin in the foyer. There, Zira awoke and revealed that she was just fine. She ordered the others to bury her as a ploy to ensure the Armies of Organa believed her dead, and Taylor took a picture of her "corpse" inside the tomb. After that, the guards lifted her out of the pit and helped her onto her throne. From there, they rode back to the Palace. Zira finally used the emergency boosters to transport the Palace to Maryland, accidentally leaving Jim Newman behind. Two months later, Zira's father, Zoram, arrived at her Palace, but she was not at all interested in seeing her father again and told her gatekeeper not to admit him. When she realized he intended to recapture the Palace, she sent two mercenaries after her own father, who killed him successfully. Return to Arizona In 2018, Zira Grover finally returned to Arizona, Palace and all, and commended Jim Newman for his work rebuilding her Empire. In order to bet on Tyler during a subsequent race, Baby Intelligence agreed to meet Zira in order to borrow money from the monarch. Jim Newman gave him directions, which led to an arena under Zira’s throne room. Zira offered Intelligence twenty-five dollars if he could defeat her monstrous champion in a death match. Baby Intelligence was able to achieve victory over the beast, and took the money. He then left the arena after Zira. Impressed by his skill and cunning, Zira opened the exit for him. From there, the tailor led Baby Intelligence to his transport, and he returned to New York City. Zira continued in her laid back, gluttonous ways for another decade. Her diet changed from nine meals to twelve. For her first and second meals she always ate a big bowl of sugar cereal with candy and whipped cream instead of raisins and milk. For the others she ate fried chicken, French fries, and cookies. Although she never laid a hand on any of them, she was also responsible for the deaths of several more people, including those who entered her Palace, although she never did so much as touch any of them. While she laid back in comfort the guards did the killings on her command. Sometimes, she would even send her guards to discreetly kill people for fun. Because her Empire had fallen, there was nothing else in her life. Third NoHead War During the Third NoHead War, Zira, bored and longing to see something entertaining conspire around her, orchestrated the Race for the Lost Treasures of Zira Grover — a treasure hunt between two pirates, the Belar Chris Ford and the Human Bennett. They both rushed to the palace taking alternate routes, but ultimately they were killed by Jim Newman. According to him, Zira was the lost treasure. Death Hell Burnbottom breached Zira's Palace. From there, he quickly gained access to Zira's throne room. The Dark Lord arrived a day ahead of schedule, using his early arrival to carry out a personal mission in Zira's Palace. Hell Burnbottom told Zira that he needed her help in crushing the enemies of the Elite NoHeads. Zira believed that Burnbottom would attempt to use mind control to force her into doing the Dark Lord's will, but Burnbottom said there was no point. Zira briefly considered collecting the bounty that the now dominant government placed on Burnbottom's head and throwing him into an arena above her court, but she opted not to once she realized Burnbottom was aware of the trap. Zira continued her discussions with Burnbottom and incorrectly referred to the NoHead as a sorcerer, resulting in Burnbottom drawing his sword and becoming a target of Zira's henchmen. The Dark Lord wiped many of the guards out before attempting to telekinetically strangle Zira, only to fail because of the throne's shield generator. Hell Burnbottom held out a treaty for her to sign, but Zira refused. Burnbottom immediatley took to a softer tone and asked if he could sit on her throne with her. Agreeing, Zira let down the shield, only for Burnbottom to strike her down. The guards immediately attacked him, though Burnbottom ultimately escaped. Zira's corpse was later recovered by Jim Newman and another guard, who were both heartbroken. Post-mortem The Bond of Souls prevented Zira Grover from ever coming back, and Jim Newman had come to truly care for Zira now. With his dreams shattered, Newman fell into a deep depression and lived as a pauper in Palmyra, selling his valuables to survive in order to gain some money. Specifically, he sold the Device of Teleportation to Lerner Chanse for an alarmingly low price. In 2037, Jim still believed he had nowhere left to go. As a result, he finally drew his own poisonous dagger and stabbed himself. A month later, Jim Newman would be found dead in September, though securities would be very baffled that he was found right next to Tyler Grant Sr. To circumvent their suspicions, they visited and interrogated Tyler’s family, learning from them that Tyler had no weapons when he went to the scene of his death. Curiously, however, they deliberately withheld the way Tyler died, although the police already knew what had happened. Their reasons for this are unclear. Zira Miranda Grover was immortalized on a Holocard. Physical description Zira Grover was described as being beautiful but obese. As a desert monk she was thin and wore green and red rags. When she was thirteen years of age, she only weighed 38 kilograms. But during her rise to power she rarely exercised and had food of plenty. As President she was overweight, having weighed 86 kilograms in 1979. However, as Empress she never, ever exercised. Her throne guided her around her Palace, and while she sat in comfort, eating sweets and gaining weight, her guards did all her physical tasks. Now she had blonde, long hair done in an elaborate and otherworldly hairstyle, making it look curled and curiously rigid. It also had a large knot protruding out of the right side, of which is never explained. She had thick yet delicate hands that were consistently sterilized, and two-inch fingernails, painted a very dark shade of green. Zira had blue, gleaming eyes and a huge, tightly bloated midriff. Her massive stomach had an expensive crystalline piercing around her navel that she obtained shortly after her coronation. As a result of her guards doing her physical tasks and never exercising, she had no stomach muscles and was exceptionally wimpy. Although she usually wore her robes of state, she let herself open in private, wearing a tight rubber top and short underwear of rubber that exposed her midriff and arms. Her corpulent belly and lack of muscle were both results of her eating sweets constantly, as well as nine meals a day made entirely of junk food. Although Zira was 185 centimeters tall, her expanding stomach stretched her to 213 centimeters eventually. She was defenseless on her own, instead relying on numerous henchmen, servants, slaves, and pawns to get what she wanted. Zira's beauty was unconventional and her body, coupled with her charisma, attracted a certain amount of boys, including Corey, who loved her at first sight mostly due to her physical aspects and what he had heard about her. Zira never suffered from zits or diabetes. This was due to natural body functions, not special medical treatment. When she and Corey conceived Eegan Grover, Zira weighed 630 kilograms. By the end of her pregnancy, she weighed 703 kilograms. During the Battle at the Cave of the Gargoyle she weighed 885 kilograms, and she weighed 1002 kilograms when she died in 2032. Her Body Mass Index was 98.3. It was 292.8 when she died. Personality and traits Zira Miranda Grover was cruel, calculating, greedy, unforgiving, and adept at bending others to her will. She was extremely ambitious and intelligent, effectively destabilizing and destroying the world governments and secretly assisting Mr. Stupid NoHead, the Dark Lord, who was doing likewise, while creating the International Alliance under his nose. Though extremely competitive with her fellow Alliance members, Zira believed that they held a special place in the world as they were superior beings compared to other lifeforms. Her leadership skills and cunning are both exceptional. Zira also preferred to be alone, where she could have peace and quiet and wear her more comfortable rubber shirt. As a result of once living in squalor and poverty, she found obsession with her power and wealth. Her lust for power was as insatiable as her lust for food. Zira was very gluttonous and put a lot of energy into eating. She almost always ate comfort foods, this lack of dietary balance coupled with her sedentary nature resulted in her body growing inhumanly obese. Despite her tender beauty and her soft and gentle side, she showed no mercy to her enemies and rivals, often killing or imprisoning them. She did scream and attempt to have her Beast avenged after he was killed by Wes Bomee and Anakin Organa. It is likely, though, that she was furious about the loss of a very powerful and talented gladiator, rather than truly missing the Beast as a pet. A true psychopath, she considered herself to be above the morality that was perceived by "lesser" beings. Nevertheless, the Empress did not try to justify her cruel actions as doing so was a sign of hypocrisy which she utterly despised. Instead, she did everything as part of her laws and customs without pretending that she was a bastion of morality. She was also very unpredictable. She also kept herself secluded in her palace and rarely left. A sedentary and immensely obese woman, Zira despised physical labor and combat, preferring to leave such duties to her men or her slaves. She had absolutely no problem with her massive weight gain and actually enjoyed the various effects that her bloated yet well-shaped body had on her personalized servants. Zira was used to having her guards do her physical tasks for her. This does not necessarily mean that she was unarmed, as a true sign of her intelligence, Zira kept a hidden laser cannon inside her throne but only put it to use in emergencies when events spiraled out of her control. Such actions demonstrate that Zira tended to prefer her actions to be conducted by her proxies and rarely ever leave the safety of their strongholds. Any foes that seek to fight against her had to do so under their enemy's own terms, thus facing traps, barriers and various minions. A true sadist, Zira was interested in acquiring dangerous animals, gladiator robots, and human executioners and used them as amusement by sending her enemies against the fighters while she gleefully observed. Zira, however, found a preference to use her Beast for every execution that transpired in her Palace, after the skirmish that resulted in Trudy's demise. Indeed, she was not used to being in the midst of a chaotic battle and having her life threatened in the middle of immense chaos was enough to traumatize her, such as when DL09 rampaged across the Palace or when Summer Petersen beat her in the head. Despite her greedy and twisted nature, Zira had shown a softer side as evident when she was overjoyed at the return of her baby and refused to kill his savior, Summer Petersen, after she conspired against her. Zira cared about and respected family, to a certain extent. Likewise, she also seemed to contain some empathy to other people’s love, as seen when she allowed a Senator, who arrived to find his daughters, to present evidence and arrest the bounty hunter responsible for their disappearance after the Senator reminded her of her love for her own son. She also expressed regret when Helen implied that she thought her relationship with Zira was based on a debt, not on friendship. She had a measure of fondness for her, though she was upset when she suspected Helen had participated in Eegan’s kidnapping and placed a bounty on her head. Curiously, she paid the scientists who used to own her Palace, rather than killing them outright (though this may have been a calculated move, considering she wanted her new guards to get a good impression of her). Sometimes she was open-minded and surprisingly gentle. She also delighted in giving the guards a break. As they played, she smiled from her throne. Zira’s hobbies were watching television, resting, eating junk food, and watching dances from the comfort of her throne. These she usually did in her rubber shirt. Zira had a dark sense of humor, as most of her jokes were at the expense of others. She would often respond to threats with such humor or with dry sarcasm. She also possessed an unhealthy lust for several teenagers of both genders, which proves she is bisexual and perverted. However, this lust turned out to be her downfall when she was pounded out by Summer Petersen. Powers and abilities Zira Grover is highly intelligent and calculating, often thinking several clever strategies. She held an immensely strong talent for accumulation of power and its exertion of it on others along with the manipulation of other beings, she was arguably better at this than anyone else who ever attempted it due to her complex mindset. Even at a young age, she displayed remarkable talent for the manipulation of others, being able to gain the trust of every political power in the world as a teenager. Even in later years, she was considered charming by most people who met her, and was able to inspire many people to follow her. As an adult, her skills in manipulation grew even further, successfully convincing many individuals to join her cause, although Zira also used tricks, blackmail, and a number of shady crimes to get people to join her. Even when she was young, Zira was already a very effective leader, as she was able to lead the members of the International Alliance to effectively sneak past surveillance, being responsible for several nasty incidences that were never connected to them, showing that even at a young age, Zira was a very competent leader. As she grew older, fatter, and more powerful, and gained more experience in leading and thus honed leadership skills further, Zira's style of leadership changed from the original charismatic rule of the International Alliance to the tyrannical and completely ruthless - though no less highly effective - command of the entire world through her subordinates. Zira was not only a mighty and feared ruler, but also possessed an incredible intellect, as she advanced quickly in any necessary educational fields on her way to becoming Empress. Her intellect is evidenced by her strategic schemes for the throne. The majority of Zira's remarkable abilities are mental strengths, she is far from physically fit. She can barely move around and is defenseless on her own, instead relying on numerous henchmen and slaves to get what she wants. Weaknesses Zira is very wimpy on her own and has a level of overconfidence. After an undisclosed amount of time of having Summer as her servant, Zira thought she had made good progress in breaking the resilient General, and looked forward to teaching her. She would thus be shocked by Summer’s violent revolt against her on the limousine during the Battle at the Gargoyle Cave. Summer took advantage of the resulting confusing to take poetic revenge on her captor, whipping her head with the chain she had used to keep her from escaping the car. When she had first captured her, Summer had threatened her that she would live to regret it, and she fully kept her word. Diet Zira Grover placed considerable energy into eating and her own weight gain. Indeed, she spends just about as much time eating her favorite foods as she does on her Imperial dealings or indulging in her slaves. Although Zira still consumes nine meals a day, she also has adopted a liftestyle of perpetual snacking, in which the obese Empress would always have her food within easy reach. At her current age, the Empress had become so grossly fat that she had planted her immobile body onto her throne, where she could continue to rule her empire directly and still indulge in her gluttonous ways. For breakfast, Zira always ate a large bowl of chocolate cereal with whipped cream instead of milk and chocolate chips instead of raisins. For lunch and dinner, she always ate fried chicken, along with a large order of French fries and five cookies. She always had two goblets next to her that were constantly refilled with candy. In any case, Zira seems to eat junk food on any occasion, from snacks to delicacies to appetizers, further placing emphasis on the Queen’s perpetual snacking lifestyle. In particular, Zira’s favorite food seems to be chocolate bars, sweets that the overweight Empress seems to enjoy eating on a regular basis. At her side, Zira keeps a large glass bowl and tube, filled with melted chocolate. The bowl is refilled constantly to keep up with the gluttonous ruler’s enormous appetite for the chocolate. She then sucks the chocolate from the tube without a care. The manner in which Zira eats is considered a peaceful and well-mannered habit, especially to her slaves who are in close proximity to the Queen when she eats. It is under unanimous agreement that Zira’s slaves find it surprisingly pleasant to be around their mistress when she’s eating (this is to say, all the time). They find her food to be good and her eating habits even more so. Indeed, sometimes Zira may even require these people to feed her, especially if she’s feeling particularly lethargic. Relationships Anakin Organa Zira Miranda Grover has been Anakin's enemy ever since Xydarone delivered Helen McKeen to the former's home. Anakin noted that Zira had a disturbing interest in Summer. Summer Petersen As Zira took quite a liking to Summer, the General admired Zira’s good manners, beauty, and authority, though she also detested her for her past attempts to kill her friends. Having lived for over five decades, Zira was very experienced in controlling slaves, but Summer provided an interesting challenge due to her strength and pride. If she sensed her lean away from her, she would tug Summer’s shirt firmly but gently, returning her to the proper position closely in front of her. When she wished to demonstrate her power over her, she would jerk Summer’s dress, forcing her to fall against her huge belly. Whenever Zira pulled Summer’s dress, making her fall into her grasp, she would take great pleasure in reminding her of just who was Master and who was future Master. She would then rub Summer’s shoulders and back with her hands, making it very difficult for Summer to move her body. Zira found Summer’s threats and resistance amusing, but if she spoke too far out of line she would quickly silence her by tugging on her shirt and speaking over her in her deep, uneven voice. When she did allow the General to talk to her, Zira insisted that she recognize her superiority by calling her “mistress,” “Exalted One,” or similar titles, just like Thomas Carter and her other servants. Summer had no choice but to supplicate herself to the Empress in both her posture and her words. If Summer strongly angered her, the Empress would punish her either by smacking her, by choking her by the collar until she submitted and begged for release, or by forcing her to eat a slab of roasted chicken brain. Summer soon learned how much resistance she could afford to make before she reluctantly had to obey her, so that Zira almost never had to resort to this final means of controlling her. However, Zira was still kind to Summer. She did not feel the need to chain her like she did with Thomas Carter, allowing her to sit at the other end of the throne if she pleased. She pampered her servant by allowing her to lie on huge pillows, and sometimes offered her a drink from her ornate cup. Her costume was also priceless, being studded with several jewels. As Zira’s servant, Summer has access to her private harem, which contained bathing pools, fountains, huge soft beds, and other decadent pleasures. Zira also intended to take her into her luxurious private cabin on her limo after the death of her friends to teach her to appreciate her masterly care of her. Taylor Carter Taylor Carter loved Zira Miranda Grover, his mistress, very much. Although Taylor admitted that she could be fierce at times, he believed that she had a gentle heart and only wanted peace. Taylor’s devotion to her eventually extended to him being sexually attracted to her. Satisfying her was of the utmost importance to him. Behind the scenes Zira Miranda Grover was created by D. Isaac Thomas, but was known only as "the Queen" until her identification with Eegan Grover also proving that she is not a Queen at all, but an Empress. The 2013 anthology of short stories Tales of Royalty explored the lives and backstories of the patrons of her court, revealing that many of them were plotting to kill her. Appearances * *''The Lost Treasure'' *''Boys vs. Girls'' trilogy *''Boys vs. Girls 2'' * Notes and references Category:1966 births Category:2032 deaths Category:American individuals Category:Bisexuals Category:Bronze Holocards Category:Collectors Category:Dictators Category:Females Category:Holocards Category:Imperial heads-of-state Category:Killed by Hell Burnbottom Category:Mutants Category:Obese individuals Category:Only children Category:Pure-bloods Category:Unmarried individuals Category:Villains